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Security

In April, four journalists published a photo essay in The Guardian about the consequences of the Boko Haram insurgency in the Lake Chad basin. They visited refugee camps in Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria. Their photographs tell the stories of fractured families and untold suffering. Read on

This is a must read for anybody who would like to understand the issues at stake in Mali’s next presidential election, which are set for 29 July 2018. Joseph Brunet-Jailly, an economist and Mali expert, analyses the state of play in Malian politics. The prospects are far from encouraging. Mali is in a catastrophic situation: the Algiers Peace Agreement has become void, the opposition is divided and the forthcoming presidential election will probably change nothing. Read on

In this article published by a Burkinabe online platform, Newton Ahmend Barry, president of the country’s independent National Electoral Commission, analyses the double attack that took place on 2 March in Ouagadougou. “We are wrong to believe that France or the G5 Sahel will solve our problems. No people in the world has ever been rescued by another people,” Barry wrote. Read on

On 2 March, Ouagadougou once again experienced two deadly attacks. A vehicule packed with explosives was placed in front of the army’s headquarters and a group of jihadists attacked the area around the French Embassy. According to the Burkinabe Ministry of Security’s official report, eight Burkinabe soldiers were killed in the attacks and about 80 people, including some civilians, were injured. Read on

The five presidents from G5 Sahel countries met on 6 February in Niamey, Niger at the 4th ordinary session of the Heads of State Conference. Discussions focused on ensuring sustainable funding for the recently launched G5 Sahel Joint Force. G5 leaders already approved its operational set-up, the creation of a dedicated trust fund, the creation of a regional police academy in Chad and a G5 Sahel Defence College in Mauritania. Read on

On 16 February 2014, the heads of state of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger met in Nouakchott to create the G5 Sahel, a regional body designed to co-ordinate strategies and policies on defence, security, governance, infrastructure and resilience in the Sahel. The G5 Sahel officially launched its joint force at an extraordinary summit on 2 July 2017. There is still a significant budget shortfall to make the force fully operational. Mobilising the necessary troops that will make up the joint force battalions is yet another challenge. Read on

Special Representative of the Secretary-General Mohammed Ibn Chambas, who is also the head of the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel, delivered his briefing on the security situation in the Sahel and West Africa on 11 January to the UN Security Council. “The security situation remains a grave concern,” he said. Read on

On the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron, France hosted a meeting in support of the G5 Sahel where he met with his counterparts from the G5 countries and other partner countries and organisations. The objective of the meeting was to speed up the structuring of the G5 Sahel at the military, political and financial levels, and make it operational. Read on

Organised by UNOWAS, ECOWAS and UN WOMEN, an Open Doors Day aimed to initiate a dialogue between West African women and regional actors on the implementation of the three-year action plan of the ECOWAS Conflict Prevention Framework’s (CPCC) component on women, peace and security. Read on

From 6-8 December in Cotonou, Benin, CILSS organised a conference on “Operational approaches to conflict sensitivity and prevention in pastoral areas,” which was chaired by the Beninese minister of agriculture, livestock and fisheries. The purpose of the event was to present the achievements of the Pastoralism and stability in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa (PASSHA) project. Read on